Various processes for reclaiming silver from photographic substrates have been used, and some of them have involved complicated and expensive equipment such as centrifuges for the purpose of separating silver from liquids in which the silver is precipitated, after being removed from the photographic substrate materials such as plastic film or the like. Centrifuges are expensive and require careful attention as well as proper maintenance.
Additionally, in the smelting of precipitates, gathered from the washing of silver from photographic substrates, various fluxes have been used such as sodium carbonate or soda ash and borax. With such prior art fluxes high alkalinity destroys the crucibles and in this fashion the prior art methods for smelting of the reclaimed silver materials have been relatively costly.